November 2008, Volume 6, Issue 11

Scholarship Deadline

Time is running out to apply for a 2009 BCI Student Research Scholarship. The deadline for submitting applications is December 15, 2008, so don’t delay. Apply online at www.batcon.org/scholarships.

Bat Conservation International’s scholarship program has been supporting conservation-relevant student research projects throughout the United States and around the world since 1990. We have helped more than 250 students conduct important research in 54 countries.

We plan to award 15 to 20 scholarships of $2,500 to $5,000 each for the coming academic year. Up to 10 of the scholarships are supported by the U.S. Forest Service International Programs specifically for research conducted in developing countries.

USFS International Programs and BCI are also offering graduate students the opportunity to double their award (up to $10,000) if they focus their research on subjects of special concern to bat conservation. This year’s Special Scholarships are restricted to research on bats’ pollination of durian or Old World mangroves.

The durian is the most commercially valued fruit in much of Southeast Asia and nearby Pacific Islands, but farmers often mistakenly assume that bats reduce (rather than enhance) durian production. Coastal mangroves are ecologically essential but are disappearing at alarming rates. Their primary bat pollinators are also disappearing rapidly but are largely ignored in mangrove-conservation planning. Studies documenting bat roles as durian and mangrove pollinators are urgently needed. To apply, click “Yes” when asked in your online application if you qualify for a Special Scholarship.

BCI scholarships are competitive, and proposals will be evaluated by an international panel of bat experts.